Former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida has justified the execution of his “boisterous” childhood friend, Mamman Vasta, for plotting a coup to topple his regime.

In his autobiography launched on Thursday, Mr Babagida said he knew Mr Vasta had always been envious of his achievements since they were teenagers.

“I appointed General Vatsa as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory even though he was not part of the change of government that ousted General Buhari. Yet I remained true to our friendship and bent backwards to accommodate his excesses and boisterousness,” Mr Babagida said.

“With the benefit of hindsight now, I recall that a constant part of our relationship as teenagers and young men was a continuous and recurrent peer jealousy on his part towards me. He was always envious of my achievements, especially when he thought I was progressing better than him, either in school or our military career path.”

Mr Babangida said that while he was the head boy in secondary school, Mr Vatsa disregarded his instructions, “insisting that there was nothing so special about being the head boy.”

He added, “That trend continued through our military career but tended to diminish as we both progressed in our respective military careers. Still, he was envious of my career path and postings up to when I was chosen as a member of the Supreme Military Council under General Murtala Muhammed.”

Mr Babagida, popularly called Maradona for his tricky character, said he felt betrayed by Mr Vasta when investigations revealed he mobilised to topple his government. The former head of state said he had to allow Mr Vatsa’s execution alongside other coup plotters in 1986 in national interest.

“Vatsa and his nine other co-conspirators were executed in March 1986. They had planned a bloody coup which would have plunged the country into darkness. I had to choose between saving a friend’s life and the nation’s future. Above all, everyone who had signed on to a military career understood clearly what it meant to plan a coup and fail. The penalty was clear and unmistakable,” Mr Babagida said.

Over three decades after this incident, the execution of Mr Vasta in 1986 has remained a major criticism against Mr Babagida-led regime.

During the autobiography launch, Mr Babagida admitted Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party won the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election he annulled.

Since the launch of the autobiography titled “Journey in Service,” Mr Babagida has come under intense criticism.

Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, said Mr Babagida’s autobiography should be titled “Journey in Criminality” instead of its real title.  

“A Journey in Criminality — This is a better title!” Mr Sowore said, posting on Facebook the cover of Mr Babangida’s autobiography with “Criminality” imposed over the word “Service” in the title.  

In another Facebook post, Mr Sowore said, “Babangida and co-conspirators deserve life imprisonment without parole following a thorough treason trial.”